Billboard rest-stop provides temporary bedroom for tired drivers

The Sodimac Resting House billboard guides tired drivers to a decorated one-car garage, where they can nap for free.

Tiredness behind the wheel is one of the major causes of road accidents globally. We have already seen the Harken project, from Spain, which places sensors into seatbelts and car seats to track drivers’ alertness and an Attention Powered Car from Australia, which slows down automatically when the driver’s attention starts to wander. Now, Sodimac — a homecentre in Peru — has launched a campaign to tackle the same problem. The Sodimac Resting House billboard, which was created by McCann Lima, doubles as an advertisement and a temporary sanctuary for tired drivers traveling on the Panamericana Sur Highway.

Rather than simply advertise the store, the Sodimac billboard features a lit up arrow that points travellers towards the temporary rest-stop. Drivers simply have to pull off the road and drive into the temporary single-car garages, which have been decorated to resemble the interior of a bedroom. There is free wifi and security around the clock, and visitors are even given eye-masks and hot drinks.

The Sodimac Resting House billboard is the latest example of billboards being used for more experiential marketing. We have even seen them used as temporary roadside beds by Pakistan’s homeless laborers. Could the Sodimac Resting House be replicated in other countries?